Hat box



' April 23, 1940.

H. L. JARNAGIN ,198,

HAT BOX Fiied July 13, 1939 i JIi- UC-TH'OT/ HelenL.Jzrmz7in latented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE 2,198,031 AT Box .Helen L. 'JarnagimLouisville, Ky. Application m 13, 1939, Serial bio/284,360

2 Claims.

This invention relates to hat boxes.

An object of the invention is the provision of a hat box having a rack forming part of the box by means of its connection with a removable cover, the rack including a framework for supporting hats in spaced relation and out of contact with each other, the rack including a framework having a base member resting upon the bottom of the box with spaced standards carrying hat holders with the standards being connected at points to the underface of the top'of the cover where a handle is connected exteriorly of the cover.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a hat box having a rack forming a part of the box by its connection with the cover that is removably connected to the top of the hat box by hinged hasps cooperatively engaging spring locks mounted on the side walls of the container, the rack being provided with hat holders and standards-for supporting the holders in spaced relation with the upper ends of the standards being connected to the underface of the cover of the box where the ends of a handle are secured to the outer face of the cover, the standards being bentfrom a single piece of metal with-the intermediate portion of the piece of metal being bent to form a supporting base for the rack.

This invention will be best understood from a tion, in view of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not con-' fined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a hat box constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention with the rack connected to the cover shown in separated condition from the container or box,

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the hat box 45 shown in assembled position,

line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a modified form of a single hat holder. 5 Referring more particularly to the drawing, l0 designates a hat box or container which is formed of any one of a number of materials such as canvas, Cellophane, cardboard, wood, leather, or

imitation leather. When necessary the container 55 may be reinforced in any well known manner.

consideration of the following detailed descrip;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken along the This container has an open top H which is adapted to be closed by a cover l2 having an annular depending flange l3 adapted to embrace the upper end of the container ill. The container is also provided with a closed bottom It.

The cover 12 is provided with a handleZll which has its ends secured at 2| to the outer face of the cover. This portion of the cover may be reinforced if necessary. Such reinforcement, however, depends upon the type of material employed.

A hasp 22 is pivotally connected at 23 to a supporting plate 24. It will be noted that there is a hinged hasp and a plate 24 at diametrically 0pposite points on the cover I2. The hasp depends downwardly from its hinged portion 23 and is adapted to be cooperatively secured to the side walls of the container l0 by means of the usual form of spring lock 25 well known in the art of suit cases. In other words, the hinged hasps 22 are provided with a member 26 which is adapted to be engaged by a spring latching means formed in the lock 25 so that the cover will not only be locked to the container but the cover will be secured to said container so that the hat box may be carried manually when the handle has been grasped inthe usual manner.

A pair'of standards 30 are located in spaced parallel relation within the container I0 and in close association with the inner wall of said container. These standards are formed either of wire which is of sufficient strength for thepurpose or the standards may be formed of a tubular member which is bent intermediate its ends to provide a substantially circular base 36 which may rest upon the bottom lot the container l0. Secured in any approved manner to the standards 30 are brackets 32 and 33. These brackets project inwardly and then upwardly from the standards. The inner ends of these brackets are bent to conform to the curvature of rings 34' which form the hat holders upon which a hat is placed. These hat holders, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3, are located axially of the container It.

The inbent portions 36 of the brackets 32 and 33 are welded or soldered to the underface of the rings 34 at two points along each ring dia-.

metrically opposite one another, said points being 33 are secured to the underface of the disc 40 at two points in diametrically opposite spaced relation, said points being located symmetrically with respect to the standards 30.

A hat 4! shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 is in position upon a ring 34 and a hat pin 42 is forced through the hat and below said ring in order to maintain the hat in position.

The upper ends of the standards 30, as shown at 45 in Figs. 1 and 2 are bent inwardly and the free ends of the bent portions are secured to the underface of the cover l2 directly beneath the ends 46 of the handle 29 by means of perforated lugs 47 which are secured to the underface of the cover i2 and may if desired be connected to the ends 46 of the handle. By this construction it will be seen that the weight of the rack and the hats will be borne by the handle 20, thereby providing longer life of the hat box. U-shaped members 63 embrace the upper ends 45 of the standards 3t and hayeears 44 secured to the inner face of the cover I2 for aiding in maintaining the standards in position. The U-shaped members are located adjacent the depending flange of the top l2.

The hats 4| are applied to the various holders in spaced relation after the rack has been withdrawn from the container I 0 and then the rack is inserted within the housing I 0 so that the bottom 3| of the rack may rest upon the bottom I4 of the container H1. At this time the cover l2 will be resting upon the open end II of the container with the flange l3 of the cover in snug relation with the outer wall of the upper end of said container. moved into position so that the cooperating elements on the locks 25 and the hasps will be in operative engagement whereby the cover will be securely connected to the top of the container. The usual form of key may be inserted within the lock and turned to prevent unauthorized removal of the hats.

The handle 2% permits ready conveyance of the hat box and where the hat box is used for private purposes the rack may be removed from the container Ill and hung up in a closet. On the other The hinged hasps 22 are then hand, the hats may be kept in the container as shown in Fig. 2 and be protected from dust.

The container provides a convenient form of transporting hats or storing them so that the hats will be properly preserved and maintained in shape. When the frame alone is used, it is an efficient hat rack.

If desired, the hat holders and brackets may be made vertically adjustable in any approved manner and for such purpose, the brackets may be mounted on the standards by means of friction sleeves, the'weight of the hat and holder causing sufiicient leverage tobind the sleeves in any position to which they have been moved along the standards.

I claim:

1. A hat box comprising a container, a cover for said container, a rack for hats adapted to be received by said container and including a pair of standards, the upper ends of the standards being bent at right angles thereto, a handle secured to the outer face of the cover, means securing thebent portions of the standards to the cover when the handle is attached to the cover so that when the box is being carried the handle will directly support the rack and means removably connecting the cover to the box, said rack including spaced hat holders projecting from the standards.

2. In a hat box having a lid removably connected to the top of the box, a rack for supporting hats within the box in horizontally spaced relation comprising a length of materialbent intermediate the ends thereof to form a supporting base, the free ends of the strip being disposed at right angles to the plane of the base and forming spaced vertical standards lying in close association with the inner side wall of the box, means connecting the free ends of the standards with the cover, a handle secured to the cover at points where the standards are attached to the cover, spaced pairs of similarly positioned brackets projecting from the standards, and hat holders spaced from the walls of the box and secured to the ends of said brackets.

HELEN L. JARNAGIN. 

